Iowa basketball hires Ben McCollum, who swept Missouri Valley titles and won NCAA game in 1 season at Drake
Athletic director Beth Goetz announced McCollum's hiring 10 days after she fired Fran McCaffery and two days after McCollum wrapped up a 31-4 season with a loss to Texas Tech in the second round of the West Regional. Terms of his contract weren't announced.
McCollum takes over a program that had its worst season in seven years. The Hawkeyes were 17-16 overall and, at 7-13, tied for 12th in the Big Ten Conference. Iowa also has seen a steep decline in attendance the last two years.
The 43-year-old McCollum's ties to the Hawkeye State run deep. He was born in Iowa City, raised in Storm Lake and played junior college basketball in Mason City. His mother earned her undergraduate, master's and law degrees from Iowa.
'Returning to Iowa City as the head coach of the Hawkeyes is a dream come true for me and my family,' McCollum said. 'The passion of Hawkeye fans is unmatched, and I am incredibly excited to get started on this new journey together.'
McCollum's coaching profile has been on the rise since he landed his first head coaching job at Northwest Missouri State and won four Division II national championships in 15 seasons.
Four of his Northwest Missouri players joined him at Drake, and the Bulldogs became one of the top stories in college basketball this season. They were dubbed 'Division II Drake' by some, a moniker that only served to motivate the team.
All four of the Northwest Missouri transfers were starters and one of them, Bennett Stirtz, led the Missouri Valley in scoring and was named conference player of the year and most outstanding player of the MVC Tournament.
The Bulldogs were picked fifth in the 12-team Valley and received no first-place votes. They ended up winning the regular-season championship by two games with 17 conference wins, their most ever. Then they won the MVC Tournament to run their overall win total to a school-record 30 in 33 games.
Next was a 67-57 win over Missouri in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, but the Bulldogs had difficulty matching up with Texas Tech and lost 77-64.
Now McCollum moves a little more than 100 miles east, from Des Moines to Iowa City.
'We are excited to welcome Coach McCollum and his family back to Iowa City,' Goetz said. 'Ben has a track record of success both on and off the court. His talent for developing student-athletes and fostering a strong team culture has been evident throughout his career. I am confident that Hawkeye fans will enthusiastically support the McCollum family as we embark on the next chapter of Iowa men's basketball.'
McCollum coaches a grinding style. The Bulldogs' tempo was slowest in the nation. Offensive rebounding is emphasized. The defense allows 58.4 points per game, fewest in the nation. Just over 1 in 5 opponent possessions ends with a turnover.
'Death by a thousand paper cuts,' McCollum called his system.
The Bulldogs knocked off Miami, Vanderbilt and Kansas State on their way to a 12-0 start. They dropped back-to-back games before reeling off 11 straight MVC wins.
McCaffery was Iowa's all-time wins leader and, at 15 years, the longest-tenured coach in program history. The Hawkeyes dropped seven of nine games in February and didn't qualify for the Big Ten Tournament until the last day of the regular season.
The program has struggled to attract elite talent because of its shallow pool of funds for name, image and likeness compensation.
Since McCaffery's firing, seven players have announced they would enter the transfer portal.
Iowa's men were 10th in the Big Ten in average paid attendance this season, at 9,161 per game, though actual crowds appeared significantly less. That's an 8% drop from last season and 26% drop from 2022-23.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
3 hours ago
- USA Today
Iowa basketball star learns of Hawkeye football legend with same name
Despite having no familial relation, Iowa basketball guard Tavion Banks discovered why his last name carries so much hype and sentimental value among Hawkeye fans after learning of Iowa football legend, Tavian Banks. At 6-foot-7, 200 pounds, Tavion Banks joined the Hawkeyes basketball program via the transfer portal after following head coach Ben McCollum from Drake, where he averaged 10.1 points and 5.0 rebounds per game last season en route to capturing Missouri Valley Conference Sixth Man of the Year honors. Banks played in 34 games with the Bulldogs last season and started one contest. The Kansas City native shot 52.0% from the field and 70.5% from the free-throw line. While the senior guard said he played wide receiver in high school, he admitted to having very little knowledge of legendary Iowa football running back, Tavian Banks. Tavian Banks played for Iowa under Hayden Fry from 1994 to 1997, where he exploded onto the college football scene in his senior season by recording 17 rushing touchdowns on 260 carries for a total of 1,691 rushing yards. Banks also added a pair of receiving touchdowns in 1997. In his standout 1997 campaign, Tavian Banks was named the 1997 Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year and honored as a second-team All-American. Although Tavion Banks may not have the same speed and finesse as Tavian Banks did on the gridiron, McCollum and Iowa basketball hope the senior can elevate the program this year to new heights that the fan base has long been dreaming of. Iowa basketball will open its 2025-26 season on Nov. 4 against Robert Morris from Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes, and opinions. Follow Scout on X: @SpringgateNews
USA Today
6 hours ago
- USA Today
Joel Klatt explains why he ranks Georgia football outside his top-5
Fox Sports college football expert Joel Klatt ranks the Georgia Bulldogs as the No. 7 team in his preseason top 25. Klatt has some concerns about the Bulldogs entering the 2025 season, but gives Georgia the benefit of the doubt over similar SEC teams like the LSU Tigers (No. 8) and Alabama Crimson Tide (No. 9). "I'll be honest, Gunner Stockton is a question mark for me, but Georgia is a program that has proven that it's like you don't have to have elite level quarterback play," Klatt said. "You got to have competent (QB) play." Klatt ranks Georgia behind No. 1 Penn State, No. 2 Texas, No. 3 Ohio State, No. 4 Clemson, No. 5 Oregon and No. 6 Notre Dame. Klatt is lower than most on Georgia. His ranking of the Bulldogs is lower than how college football coaches voted in the US LBM Coaches Poll, which ranked Georgia No. 4. "I trust Kirby Smart," Klatt added. "Why? Because they win. That's just what they do. There's never a shortage of talent at Georgia. We know that." Georgia will have to rely on younger players than usual in 2025. The Bulldogs had 14 players selected in the 2025 NFL draft including several key players in the trenches. Georgia also lost a few key veterans like quarterback Carson Beck and linebacker Damon Wilson to the transfer portal. However, Klatt does like how Georgia has improved its wide receiver room. "They've addressed the wide receiver issues, which let's be honest, like that was terrible last year," Klatt continued. "They led the country in drops. So they get Zachariah Branch from USC, Noah Thomas from (Texas A&M. That should help them right away. Branch is one of the most dynamic players in the country." Georgia's receivers need to help quarterback Gunner Stockton, who is entering his first year as the starter. However, Stockton is a redshirt junior and has been in Georgia's system for a long time, so he should be prepared to play. Additionally, the schedule sets up nicely for Stockton and company. "Here's the other thing I love about Georgia is their schedule," Klatt said. "Most of their big ones are at home. Alabama, Texas, and Ole Miss are all at home, where they never lose, by the way, between the hedges (Georgia had) 31 straight home wins. Their last home loss was in 2019." Georgia's start to the season is easy too. The Bulldogs don't have to go on the road or play a Power Four opponent until Week 3 against Tennessee. This should help Gunner Stockton adjust to starting. Georgia's advantageous schedule does not stop there. "They only play three true road games with that level of talent," Klatt said. "Listen, I know Kirby always complains about like it's tough to win on the road in the SEC. It's tough to win on the road, period. And guess what? You only have to do it three times this year." Georgia's three road games are against Tennessee, Auburn and Mississippi State. The Bulldogs are favored in all three games and have an easier path than last season to the SEC title game and the College Football Playoff. "Georgia's is a team that I think should play for an SEC championship," Klatt said. "Partly because the program that they've built and partly because in terms of SEC schedules, that's about as favorable as as you can get with that home denomination there." Klatt thinks Georgia will make the SEC championship, but he does not necessarily think the Bulldogs will win the SEC. Klatt likes Texas to win the SEC over Georgia. He has Texas as his preseason No. 2 and thinks Texas has one of the best defenses in the country. Follow UGAWire on Instagram or Threads for more Georgia football coverage!
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Yahoo
Iowa City High's Blaine Heick discusses body conditioning, winning a state baseball title
Iowa City High's Blaine Heick is fresh off winning a state baseball title. The senior linebacker is expected to have a bigger role at tight end.
